Meeting Vitamin B12 Needs in A Vegetarian Diet

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is found only in animal products so deficiency is a potential concern for any person following a vegetarian diet (especially a vegan diet), or any person who significantly restricts the consumption of animal products from their diet.

Vegetarians should supplement their diet with vitamin B12. This is particularly important for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, to prevent deficiency in their baby. Small frequent doses of about 2 µg are recommended as excess doses is not absorbed by the body.

While plant food (including mushrooms, tempeh, miso and sea vegetables) are often reported to provide some vitamin B12, they are not a reliable source and will not prevent deficiency. These food contain an inactive form of B12, which interferes with the normal absorption and metabolism of the active form in the body. A reliable source of biologically active vitamin B12 is recommended on a regular basis, either from fortified food or supplements.

Tips for meeting vitamin B12 needs:

• Include dairy food and eggs in the diet regularly (1 glass of milk, plus 1 tub of yogurt, plus 1 egg, plus 40g of cheese provides the daily requirement)
• Fortified food such as fortified soy beverages, vegetarian burgers, sausages and yeast extracts (2.5 glasses of a fortified soy beverage provides the daily requirement)
• For those who do not eat food containing vitamin B12, a B12 supplement should be taken

Credits: Dietitians Association of Australia